Cone head Mantis Empusa pennata

[Sue]

Empusa pennata is a type of mantis similar to the better known Praying mantis (Mantis religiosa). It is called "Mantis palo" in Spanish and (Western) "Cone head mantis" in English.
This well camouflaged insect awaits in tall grasses and plants for small insects such as beetles, bees and moths to fly past which it preys on with amazing ease.

The colouration of soft pink and green allowed the female to blend well with thistle stems and grass seed heads. Body length of the female seen here is around 8cm. Nymph around 1cm

The family group in the image covers ;
egg case laid on 5th June 07
nymph - which emerged 9th July 07
male - grooming, with a feather like plume protruding from his head (head shot)
female - positioned upside down to improve her camouflage (full body)

(A similar coloured mantis Empusa fasciata is not found in Spain but further east around the Mediterranean)

Sue

[nick]

Lovely work yet again Sue. Can't you get some work publishing this stuff?

I didn' know the term "mantis palo" but "mantis religioso". I guess they are the same beast

Nick

[Sue]

Hi Nick and All,

The praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) “mantis religioso" does not have the protrusion from the top of the head. The colouration may be similar as it seems that they can take on the colour of their surroundings at the point of the last moult from nymph-hood to adult!

Both of these insects live throughout Iberia and there is a third that can sometimes be seen in the south-Sphodromantis viridis, still bearing the common name of praying mantis. As the name suggests this one is green and can be distinguished by a white spot on the wing.

These pictures show the;
  "cone head mantis" close-up of head
 " praying mantis"      close-up of head
  "praying mantis"

Regards, Sue

[nick]

Excellent Sue. Never knew that. What a cone head! Hadn't read your post properly either.

Wikipedia notes these other Spanish names for mantis religiosa (a curious one as the Latin and commonly-known Spanish name are the same)

- santateresa, tatadiós, campamocha, mamboretá, cerbatana  and usamico.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mantis_religiosa

[nick]

By the way,
What is the plural of Mantis in English?

[Sue]

Hi Nick and All,

they are often referred to as mantids

"A mantis is a predatory insect distinguished by 2 pair of legs for grasping and climbing, and a pair of claws with which it feeds. These claws are heavily serrated for holding captured prey still while it is being eaten. Mantids are one of the fastest insects in the world when it comes to snatching up prey. They are famous for catching flies and other flying prey mid-air without hesitation and with outstanding accuracy. The mantis is also one of the only insects that has a mobile head, enabling nearly a 360 degree view of its surroundings, and can detect movement up to 60 feet away. The eyes consist of a pair of large complex eyes, and 3 simple eyes on the forehead. The specific function of the simple eyes has not been fully explained, but it is thought they help detect movements of prey. Mantids are also able to feel the approach of other insects through vibratory sensors."
Information that I read at this site which is aimed at caring for them in captivity…
www.wildeyereptiles.com/catalog/mantid.htm

Next image...I have not yet found out if this creature is simply a young praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) note the pointed angle of the eyes and v shape at the top of the head.

Regards, Sue

[nick]

Good stuff.

Further to my Mantis Latin-Spanish point, I don't mean the Latin term is in common parlance but that the Spanish term coincides with the Latin. So DRAE gives us:

Mantis religiosa.
Insecto de tamaño mediano, de tórax largo y antenas delgadas. Sus patas anteriores, que mantiene recogidas ante la cabeza en actitud orante, están provistas de fuertes espinas para sujetar las presas de que se alimenta. Es voraz, y común en España.

1. f. santateresa.

[eileen]

Hi Sue and All

Lovely praying mantis pictures Sue.

Thought you would like to see this visitor who popped his head up doing a  "Mr Chad" on our roof terrace last year. He was quite a character.

Regards

Eileen

[eileen]

Hi again folks
 
Just found the photo I was really looking for. This picture was taken a few years ago when there was still some water in the Bornos lake under the bridges! He was on a piece of furniture at a roadside rubbish dump. What sort of mantis is he Sue? I do realise that the other picture is some sort of grasshopper, cricket or something!


Eileen

[eileen]

Sorry I'm not very good at this I forgot to rotate the photo after I'd trimmed it down for the web.Hopefully this should be the right way up! 

 
Eileen

[SueMac]

Hi guys and gals
Is Eileen's picture of MrChad a different type of praying mantis?  We have certainly had his cousin around here.
SueMac

[lisa]

I f I'm not mistaken, Eileen's first photo is a Great green bush cricket, Tettigonia viridissima, no idea of the Spanish name.
Am a little worried about what appears to be a long, hairy leg surfacing from below 

[Sue]

Hi Eileen, SueMac and All,

The mug shot of the “Mr Chad” impressionist I shall have to look at further… at first glance it looks like an Egyptian grasshopper (Anacridium aegyptium) but the eyes are wrong, your photo shows pupils, I think, whereas mine has notable lines through the eyes. I would say grasshopper/locust though.

The other photo (on a wardrobe door) is a lovely Praying Mantis, Mantis religiosa.

Regards, Sue

Egyptian grasshopper Anacridium aegyptium

[Sue]

Hi All,
Tettigonia viridissima, that roles off the tongue well, I like that name better than bush cricket, that is the fella, well done Lisa!

Regards, Sue

[Sue]

Tettigonia viridissima,  seems to be known in Spanish as "Saltamontes verde"

Sue

[eileen]

Hi Suemac, Lisa and Sue,

Well the hairy leg is a poser  .I don't remember seeing anything suspicious when I took the picture. Looking back at the original photo, it does look remarkably like a hairy leg. I'm glad I didn't encounter it unexpectedly!! I am inclined to hope that it was just a bit of hairy foliage! However here is another piccie of the grasshopper, Eygptian or other.

Regards to you all

Eileen

[Clive]

Hola,

Ahhhh. Yes. Of course..... The "Green Mountain Leaper". I knew that all the time

Clive

[SueMac]

Hi all
I thought this was the Egyptian grasshopper..........
SueMac

[Sue]

Hi SueMac,

Yes your picture and mine are the Egyptian grasshopper, note that it has stripes on the eyes.
Eileen’s photo is of a "Great green bush cricket" as Lisa correctly identified it.

Regards, Sue

[Sue]

Hi All,
I have just been looking up mantids in Spain and there are apparently 16 !

There is one which is endemic to mainland Spain which is protected, the scientific name is Apteromantis aptera (Fuente, 1893) I found one recently and could not name it before, so here is the photo again.

Regards, Sue
 
The list...
 
  Perlamantis alliberti Guerin-Meneville 1843

Empusidae

  Empusa pennata (Thunberg 1815)

Mantidae

  Ameles africana Bolivar 1914
  Ameles assoi (Bolivar 1873)
  Ameles decolor (Charpentier 1825)
  Ameles picteti (Saussure, 1869)
  Ameles spallanzania (Rossi 1792)
  Apteromantis aptera (Fuente 1894)
  Blepharopsis mendica (Fabricius, 1775)(Canarias)
  Geomantis larvoides Pantel 1896
  Iris oratoria (Linnaeus 1758)
  Mantis religiosa (Linnaeus 1758)
  Pseudoyersinia paui (Bolivar 1898)
  Pseudoyersinia canariensis Chopard 1942
  Rivetina baetica (Rambur 1838)
  Sphodromantis viridis (Forskal 1775)